The following invention relates generally to an improved method and apparatus for remediating materials contaminated with pollutants. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for more easily and effectively remediating contaminated soil.
Remediation of soil contaminated with pollutants has long presented a significant problem for society in general and those who engage or should engage in soil remediation in particular.
The following prior art reflects the state of the art of which applicant is aware and is included herewith to discharge applicant""s acknowledged duty to disclose relevant prior art. It is stipulated, however, that none of these references teach singly nor render obvious when considered in any conceivable combination the nexus of the instant invention as disclosed in greater detail hereinafter and as particularly claimed.
Notwithstanding the substantial efforts at developing remediation methods and apparatus in the prior art, the prior art methods and apparatus have not provided an effective, efficient, economical, and at the same time flexible and relatively easy-to-use means of remediating contaminated soil under a wide variety of conditions. In addition, while prior art methods and apparatus have often provided methods and apparatus that are effective at certain focused aspects of a remediation effort, such as mixing the contaminated soil with remediating substances such as chemicals or biological agents, the prior art methods and apparatus also have not provided a single apparatus that (i) is sufficiently mobile and flexible so that it can move from one contaminated area to a differently contaminated area easily, (ii) has the ability to treat both organic and inorganic or a multiple of individual contaminants at the same time, (iii) can be utilized relatively easily, and (iv) ensures thorough, and safe, mixing of the remediating substance with the contaminated soil.
For example, the Gabbita reference discloses a mobile apparatus for soil remediation. The Gabbita apparatus removes the soil with an included shovel, which is used to place the soil on a conveyor belt on the apparatus, which then deposits the soil and a remediation substance into a rotating mixer. The rotating mixer mixes the soil and remediation substance and then deposits the mixed soil and substance out the back end of the mixer.
Although the Gabbita apparatus and method does provide a single mobile apparatus and presumably would mix the soil and remediation substance to some degree, the apparatus is somewhat complicated, expensive to manufacture, and cumbersome to move due to the digging structure mounted on the apparatus. In addition, the conveyor of the Gabbita reference is located in a relatively unsafe position in which soil can fall off the conveyor directly above the location of the operator.
Also, the mixer of the Gabbita reference is not likely to ensure provision of adequate air entrainment for effective treatment or thorough mixing of the soil and remediating substance, particularly under varying conditions of use of the Gabbita apparatus and method in the field. In this regard, the Gabbita reference does not indicate how the device would be used in situations other than that for which it is designedxe2x80x94remediation of soil contaminated by hydrocarbons.
The Gabbita device further includes a single discharge outlet for ejection of the treatment fluid into the Gabbita mixer. The Gabbita apparatus thus does not provide for quick and easy alteration or adjustment of the nature of the treatment fluid, the volume of the fluid to be dispensed into the mixer, or the area to be covered by the treatment fluid when poured into the Gabbita mixer.
The other prior art listed above but not specifically described, further catalog the prior art of which the applicant is aware. These references diverge even more starkly from the references specifically distinguished above.
The applicant has invented a novel apparatus and method for remediating soil from an area contaminated with pollutants. The method involves testing the contaminated soil from the area to determine the type and amount of a treatment to spray to a given unit volume of contaminated soil from the area. A portion of the soil is then removed from the ground area and deposited into the mobile remediation apparatus. The mobile remediation apparatus is then used to impound, meter and transport the contaminated soil to the treatment chamber in order to spray the removed soil with a treatment spray, to pulverize or mill the removed soil, and mix and blend the treatment spray into the pulverized or milled soil. The mobile apparatus then ejects the treated soil.
Preferably, the mobile apparatus is unitary and largely utilizes mechanical means, gravity and inertia in order to accomplish the flow of the contaminated soil from the depositing of the soil into the apparatus through the ejecting of the soil from the apparatus. The mobile apparatus also preferably has a plurality of segregated spray circuits with adjustable spray nozzles and respective treatment fluid supply reservoirs, so that the nature and amount of the spray, and area covered by the spray, can be readily adjusted to accommodate varying needs of use of the apparatus to treat varying types of contamination or to effect varying treatment conditions.
In addition, the preferred mobile apparatus has a screen gate and other structure to prevent excessively large objects such as rocks, concrete or debris from entering into the portion of the apparatus utilized for treatment of the contaminated soil. Most preferably, the preferred apparatus is self-contained and sufficiently steerable and mobile to be utilized in a wide variety of conditions and locations.
There are other aspects and alternative or preferred embodiments of the invention. They will become apparent as the specification proceeds.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an economical, new and novel method and apparatus for the treatment and remediation of contaminated soils.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a device as characterized above which is durable in construction, safe to use and lends itself to mass production techniques.
Viewed from a first vantage point it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of remediating soil from a ground area contaminated with pollutants, the method comprising the steps of: testing the contaminated soil from the ground area to determine the type of contamination(s) present in the contaminated soil and the type and amount of treatment spray to apply per unit volume of the contaminated soil to be remediated; removing a portion of the contaminated soil from the ground area and depositing the contaminated soil portion into the mobile remediation apparatus; using the mobile remediation apparatus to: (i) impound, meter, and transport the contaminated soil to the treatment chamber; (ii) spray the treatment spray at the contaminated soil portion; (iii) pulverize the contaminated soil portion into a generally finer grained particulate matrix; and (iv) mix and blend the treatment spray into the contaminated soil portion to yield a treated soil portion; and ejecting the treated soil portion from the remediation apparatus.
Viewed from a second vantage point it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of remediating soil from a ground area contaminated with pollutants, the method comprising the steps of: removing a sample of contaminated soil from the ground area; testing the contaminated soil sample from the ground area and consulting a remediation database to determine the type and amount of remediation treatment material to apply per unit volume of the contaminated soil sample in order to remediate the contaminated soil sample; removing a portion of the contaminated soil from the ground area and depositing the contaminated soil portion into a soil receptacle/hopper on the unitary mobile remediation apparatus; within the soil receptacle/hopper of the unitary mobile remediation apparatus: (i) impound, meter, and transport the contaminated soil to the treatment chamber (ii) ejecting the remediation treatment material at the contaminated soil portion; (iii) pulverizing the contaminated soil portion into a generally finer grained particulate matrix; and (iv) mixing and blending the remediation treatment material into the contaminated soil portion to yield a treated soil portion; and ejecting the treated soil portion from the unitary mobile remediation apparatus; whereby the contaminated soil portion is returned to the ground area in a substantially remediated condition.
Viewed from a third vantage point, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for treatment of remediation of soils, comprising, in combination: means for leading soil to be treated into a treatment chamber; spray means for contacting the soil; and comminution means for pulverizing the soil.
These and other objects will be made manifest when considering the following detailed specification when taken in conjunction with the appended drawing figures.